Per reports, the team and star linebacker Bobby Wagner have agreed to terms on a four-year, $43 million contract extension. The deal will keep Wagner as a key cog in Seattle’s elite defense through the 2019 NFL season.

Wagner was seeking roughly $10 million per year with his new deal and he got it, as his new deal will average out slightly over that over the next four seasons. Unlike many NFL players seeking a big payday for their efforts, Wagner more than deserved his extension, as he’s been a big piece of the puzzle in two straight trips to the Super Bowl.

A constant force on the field, Wagner has recorded three straight 100+ tackle seasons to begin his career, along with nine sacks and five interceptions.

Freshly turned 25 years old, Wagner gives Seattle a force at linebacker into his prime years. That is one reason why the Seahawks should remain a nasty defense, along with the likes of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Michael Bennett working together to try to get Seattle back to the big game for the third season in a row.

Other Concerns

Signing Wilson and Wagner was big, but Seattle has two clear problems on their hands now going forward. For one, they now have a ton of money tied down to just a handful of players, meaning the pressure could be on GM John Schneider more than ever to find the right pieces in the NFL’s yearly draft.

Just as important, Seattle will have to choose wisely as to which other current players that hand money to. Pass rusher Bruce Irvin already seems to be on his way out of town after this year, while both defensive end Michael Bennett and safety Kam Chancellor have publicly griped about their financial statuses.

It remains to be seen just how everything plays out for Seattle, but the Seahawks have at least chosen wisely thus far as to which players they wanted to pay to keep around. Wilson was a no-brainer, while the 25-year old Wagner’s youth, production and remaining upside suggest he wasn’t a component the Seahawks could allow to slip away, either.